A socio-political organisation based in Kogi State Yagba Action Group (YAG) has slammed the video making the rounds on social media, which captured House of Representatives member Hon. Leke Abejide reeling out the monthly take-home of each lawmaker.
In a press statement issued on Thursday by its General Coordinator, Toba Adebayo Belushi, which was made available to Tribune online in Lokoja, the group urged Abejide to concentrate on his responsibility to deliver on his mandate while shunning distractions such as the manipulated video trending on social media.
The group described the doctored video as “market noise,” which should be shunned by Abejide in avoidance of “unnecessary distractions to his good work.”.
In the video, believed to have been doctored, Abejide started by saying he earns N2.5 million as a basic salary, N5 million for accommodation, N7.5 million for furniture, N1.2 million for newspapers, N621,000 for wardrobes, and N248,000 for recess monthly.
The manipulated video trending on TikTok turned out to be an abridged version of Abejide’s actual words spoken on the floor of the House last Thursday, ostensibly to suit the purpose of misinformation.
However, in the original video, the lawmaker had drawn the attention of his colleagues to Adeola Fayekun, a social media influencer who actually made the alleged bogus claims about the earnings of federal lawmakers and circulated them on social media.
A fact-check shows that Abejide only refuted the allegations of Fayehun. The lawmaker, in his point of order, raised on the floor of the House, said his privilege had been breached, being a member of the House and based on the misinformation stating his alleged bogus earnings, which has been spreading amongst his constituents. He urged the House leadership to take decisive action, failing which he vowed to take action personally.
“Mr Speaker, Honourable Colleagues, my privilege has been breached by one Adeola Fayehun, who alleged on social media that I, a member of this House, collect a basic salary of 2.5 million per month, furniture allowance of N7.5 million per month, newspaper allowance of N1.2 million, wardrobe allowance of N621,000, recess allowance of N248,000 per month, accommodation allowance of N4.9 million per month, utility allowance of N828,000, personal assistant allowance of 621,000 per month, and so on. If the House cannot take this up as a case against her, I, Elder Leke Joseph Abejide, will take it up with her, because in my own constituency, this is what is spreading around that I take this amount.”.
Abejide, a second-term member of the House, recalled how he took it upon himself to display his payslips to the world on cable television during his first term and declared that the House had nothing to hide from Nigerians.
Adebayo who described Abejide as a “dependable, reliable representative of Yagba people” and “Our son in whom we are well pleased”, in the press statement said the doctored video in circulation only constituted unnecessary distraction. He advised the lawmaker not to dissipate his energy on what he described as “ariwo oja” (noise of the market).
He added, “Abejide has served Yagbaland, and indeed Okunland with distinctive verve and diligence, since his first day in the parliament. From payment of WASSCE examination fees to distribution vehicles to traditional rulers and individuals across the three local governments; from the yearly Leke Abejide Foundation Medical Outreach to widows empowerment; from the rehabilitation of roads, bridges and culverts to equipping hospitals; from rural electrification projects and electricity infrastructure to provisions of scholarships and bursaries for indigent students; from enhancing agricultural productivity to the building of ICT Centre, facilitating the absorption of Yagba sons and daughters into the Nigerian Customs Service, military, police and various federal ministries, departments and agencies, (MDAs), thereby providing lifelong livelihoods for them. It is very interesting to state that Hon Leke Abejide started some of these programmes prior to his first election to the House of Representatives”.
Hon. Leke Abejide, a second-term lawmaker, represents Yagba Federal Constituency, Kogi State.
ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE